Unlike other cities known for their bustling nightlife, Buenos Aires isn’t notorious for drunken debauchery or binge drinking, although it’s not difficult to find if you look hard enough. Instead, late nights out require stamina. It’s not uncommon to see hordes of porteños (the people of Buenos Aires) out and about and engrossed in conversation, sipping on a Buenos Aires–style Old-Fashioned, an easy-drinking artisanal lager or a glass of wine until the early hours of the next morning.
Although local buzz tends toward the new and trendy, nostalgia holds a special place in the city’s nightlife. Fernet mixed with cola, also known as a Fernandito, is the unofficial Argentine drink of choice, but other classics like the Clarito (a local riff on the Martini made with a sugar rim) can be found at just about any Buenos Aires bar. A renewed interest in the country’s natural resources has led to creative cocktails infused with indigenous plants like huacatay, muña muña and chachacoma, while aperitivo culture lives on with apéritifs con soda, served with a siphon to spritz tableside. That same spirit has driven the city’s natural wine scene, too, which has increasingly looked toward exciting new domestic wines even beyond Argentina’s established wine regions. Local wine bars now tell the story of the country’s fresh wine renaissance, all at an accessible price.
Porteños emerged from some of the strictest lockdown restrictions in the world to return to the bar scene in full force. With a renewed appreciation for nightlife and an even greater focus on all things homegrown—from local cocktail riffs to ingredients to aperitivi, with an eye toward affordability—
Buenos Aires is a drinking destination in full bloom. — Allie Lazar
Map: Where to Drink in Buenos Aires
Nightlife reborn in South America's drinking capital.
Argentina is the undisputed aperitivo capital of South America and the world’s largest consumer of fernet. In fact, Fernet-Branca has only two distilleries: one in Milan, the other in Buenos Aires. The country makes a number of homegrown bitter liqueurs worth carrying back. Look for Amargo Obrero, Hesperidina and Pineral, all of which are local favorites.
Buenos Aires’ Must-Try Drinks
A Suitcase Full of Argentine Bitters
Lisbon is, and has been for some time, a culinary destination—the go-to stop to take in some of the freshest cod, clams and sardines in the world at family-led taverns, or tascas, or to stuff your face with pastel de nata (luscious egg custard tarts) at the city’s many padarias (bakeries). But, thanks to a growing interest among lisboetas (Lisbon locals) in domestic wine, and a progressive culinary culture whose influence is beginning to extend to cocktails, there’s as much to love about the city’s nightlife.
Not by chance, Portugal has the highest rate of wine consumption in the world (almost 52 liters per capita per year), which is well represented in its capital. Sampling a glass of regional wine, made from more than 250 indigenous grape varieties, is as authentic a local experience as riding the yellow trams that run through the city.
No discussion of Portuguese wine is complete without considering the region’s native fortified wines, like Porto, Madeira and Carcavelos. While excellent on their own, or mixed simply into highballs, like the ubiquitous Porto Tónico, these wines are also what lend the cocktail culture a distinctive Portuguese flavor. Combined with an array of local produce, including fruit from Portuguese islands and seaweed from the vast Portuguese coast, each glass is a reflection of both homegrown—and homemade—ingredients. And whether it’s at the new-school, high-concept bars translating Portuguese dishes into cocktails or the traditional counters serving ginjinha (a beloved sour cherry liqueur), Lisbon’s nightlife seamlessly unites the country’s eras, regions and style, one glass at a time. — Rafael Tonon
A culinary destination turns its focus to drinks.
Map: Where to Drink in Lisbon
Drink Like a Local
When it comes to beer, the Portuguese people have the habit of drinking panache, a mixture of beer and soda, to make the brew both sweeter and less alcoholic. Though purists may balk, it’s a common sight in everyday cafés or snack bars.
A Glass of Panache
Although gin has had its moment in Portugal, the spirit is often replaced in the Gin & Tonic formula with Port, typically either white or rosé. The resulting Porto Tónico, as it is better known, is a light, refreshing staple of the city’s drinking scene.
A Round of Porto Tónicos
The tradition of drinking this homegrown liqueur—made from sour cherry and aguardente, sweetened with sugar and flavored with cinnamon sticks—dates to the 19th century, when a Galician entrepreneur opened the city’s first ginjinha stand. It’s usually served in small shot glasses in downtown shops like A Ginjinha, Ginjinha Sem Rival and Rubi.
A Shot of Ginjinha
Typified by its unique process, this take on the classic is a citywide standard. Sugar and bitters are mixed together to form a paste that coats the entire inside of the glass.
In goes a cube or two of ice and bourbon and, to finish, an expressed orange peel
and/or cherry garnish.
Old-Fashioned
Argentina’s signature Martini was invented by celebrity bartender and television personality Santiago “Pichín” Policastro in 1935. The riff’s exact origin story has been disputed, but many say Pichín created the Clarito for a customer who wanted a “sweeter dry Martini,” adding its signature sugar rim in response. Today, it’s available at
most every bar across the country.
Clarito
The Fernandito, or fernet mixed with cola, is Argentina’s unofficial drink of choice. Many Argentines, especially young people, make a communal viajero: They cut a plastic liter bottle in half, pour fernet, cola and ice inside, then pass it around at a party or as a roadie.
Fernandito
A Suitcase Full of
Argentine Bitters
Argentina is the undisputed aperitivo capital of South America and the world’s largest consumer of fernet. In fact, Fernet-Branca has only two distilleries: one in Milan, the other in Buenos Aires. The country makes a number of homegrown bitter liqueurs worth carrying back. Look for Amargo Obrero, Hesperidina and Pineral, all of which are local favorites.
Drink Like a Local
Buenos Aires’
Must-Try Drinks
Typified by its unique process, this take on the classic is a citywide standard. Sugar and bitters are mixed together to form a paste that coats the entire inside of the glass.
In goes a cube or two of ice and bourbon and, to finish, an expressed orange peel and/or cherry garnish.
Although gin has had its moment in Portugal, the spirit is often replaced in the Gin & Tonic formula with Port, typically either white or rosé. The resulting Porto Tónico, as it is better known, is a light, refreshing staple of the city’s drinking scene.
A Round of Porto Tónicos